This Christmas season, people have been asking themselves:
How do you celebrate a holiday when so much has been taken?
The answer is simple: Just give.
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Friday, December 21, 2012
Monday, December 17, 2012
Peace and Stew
Today in church, the three speakers all talked about peace and the primary kids sang "Beautiful Savior."
If there ever was a day I wanted to hear little kids sing, today was it.
If there ever was a day I wanted to hear people talk about peace, today was it.
The topics and music were picked weeks ago...but I desperately needed those messages today.
Every time a big event happens anywhere in the world, part of me wishes I was there.
I think about how I would cover it, who I would talk to, the contacts I'd make, and what I would do to make my story different than the others.
I don't think there's ever been a huge story I haven't wanted to cover.
Except this one.
I want nothing to do with it.
It hurts to watch or read the coverage.
I feel for my reporter, photographer, and producer colleagues who have been assigned this horrendous event. One of them hasn't slept since Friday. Another says she can't write her script without crying.
Today I've been thinking about the LDS dad who is preparing to bury his six-year-old daughter. He moved his family to Connecticut just a few months ago. He's my age.
This Facebook page has been set up in honor of his beautiful daughter Emilie.
Today I've been thinking Emilie and the 19 other children. They were the same age as the primary kids who comforted everyone at church today while singing:
Fortunately Erica and I have had a busy weekend so I've been able to avoid a lot of the coverage.
In fact, after church, we went to a birthday party!
This is Derek and Melissa. The missionaries serving in our neighborhood knocked on this fun family's door a few weeks ago. Now we're all friends!
Derek turned 31 years old today. To celebrate, he made this MASSIVE pot of Brunswick stew. If you haven't heard of it, you haven't been to the south.
There's 10 smoked chickens, pounds and pounds of beef, corn, beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and other yummy things inside this 50 gallon cauldron.
Derek started cooking the stew around 11 o'clock this morning. For SIX hours, he, and a few others, stirred the pot continually with this boat oar. They never stopped until the oar stood straight up!
I'm not a big stew fan but both THIS WAS DELICIOUS!
It was super thick and there was TONS of meat...which I LOOOOOVE!
There were about 30 people at the party and the pot was still FULL of stew after everyone had eaten.
Derek scooped the leftovers into these plastic bags and cups for everyone to take home.
We went directly from the party to the church for a Christmas concert and the stew was so delicious that Erica brought it inside. She found a spoon in the kitchen and went to town!
We've decided we want our next gathering to be something fun and unique like Derek's birthday party. Who doesn't love getting together with family, friends, and good food...especially if you get to take leftovers?
Oh...and speaking of our next gathering...do all you can to be in Richmond January 9th. We are having our "Gender Reveal PARTY!"
We don't know what we're having until that morning...and the secret will be unveiled at the party!
More details to come but you are invited!
**Notice how the font is blue? Yep...you already know what I think we're having....**
If there ever was a day I wanted to hear little kids sing, today was it.
If there ever was a day I wanted to hear people talk about peace, today was it.
The topics and music were picked weeks ago...but I desperately needed those messages today.
Every time a big event happens anywhere in the world, part of me wishes I was there.
I think about how I would cover it, who I would talk to, the contacts I'd make, and what I would do to make my story different than the others.
I don't think there's ever been a huge story I haven't wanted to cover.
Except this one.
I want nothing to do with it.
It hurts to watch or read the coverage.
I feel for my reporter, photographer, and producer colleagues who have been assigned this horrendous event. One of them hasn't slept since Friday. Another says she can't write her script without crying.
Today I've been thinking about the LDS dad who is preparing to bury his six-year-old daughter. He moved his family to Connecticut just a few months ago. He's my age.
This Facebook page has been set up in honor of his beautiful daughter Emilie.
Today I've been thinking Emilie and the 19 other children. They were the same age as the primary kids who comforted everyone at church today while singing:
"Jesus is brighter, Jesus is purer...He makes the sorrowing spirit sing"
Fortunately Erica and I have had a busy weekend so I've been able to avoid a lot of the coverage.
In fact, after church, we went to a birthday party!
There's 10 smoked chickens, pounds and pounds of beef, corn, beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and other yummy things inside this 50 gallon cauldron.
Derek started cooking the stew around 11 o'clock this morning. For SIX hours, he, and a few others, stirred the pot continually with this boat oar. They never stopped until the oar stood straight up!
I'm not a big stew fan but both THIS WAS DELICIOUS!
It was super thick and there was TONS of meat...which I LOOOOOVE!
There were about 30 people at the party and the pot was still FULL of stew after everyone had eaten.
Derek scooped the leftovers into these plastic bags and cups for everyone to take home.
We went directly from the party to the church for a Christmas concert and the stew was so delicious that Erica brought it inside. She found a spoon in the kitchen and went to town!
We've decided we want our next gathering to be something fun and unique like Derek's birthday party. Who doesn't love getting together with family, friends, and good food...especially if you get to take leftovers?
Oh...and speaking of our next gathering...do all you can to be in Richmond January 9th. We are having our "Gender Reveal PARTY!"
We don't know what we're having until that morning...and the secret will be unveiled at the party!
More details to come but you are invited!
**Notice how the font is blue? Yep...you already know what I think we're having....**
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